A drinking straw is a tube intended for transferring a beverage from its container to the mouth of a drinker. In many straws, the tube can be straight or include one or more angle-adjustable bellows segments and/or one or more telescopic sections. A drinker can employ the straw by holding the straw with one end in the mouth and placing another end in the drink. Muscular action by the drinker reduces air pressure in the drinker's mouth, whereupon atmospheric pressure forces the beverage up the straw.
Straws can be used for drinking beverages from containers in which the beverage is accessed by piercing a membrane. The straw can used to pierce the membrane and one end may be adapted for this purpose. Typically the straw will be cut at an angle at one end creating a point, which is designed for use in piercing the membrane. However, such points are not very strong, especially when formed in straws with a larger diameter (typically 7-15 mm), and do not always pierce the membrane easily, preventing access to the beverage. When too much force is used for piercing, this can lead to excess pressure on the container, breaking of the straw or its point, and/or spilling of the beverage when piercing is achieved.
The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative and, in embodiments, an improved straw, in particular one including an end adapted for piercing a membrane.